Youth, Sports & Culture Minister, Dr. Danny Johnson; Alexis Wells, HAACP Certified Trainer, Department of Marine Resources and Quality Control Manager, Paradise Fisheries; and Agriculture & Marine Resources Minister V. Alfred Gray. (BIS Photos/Gena Gibbs)
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NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Protecting the Bahamian human capital
by teaching at-risk youths to be fishermen is a new approach to creating youth
employment in food security. About 20 young trainees signed up for the
pilot project to learn boating, diving, and fishing in order to be certified
through the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) and the
National Training Agency (NTA).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources joined
forces with the Ministry of Youth, Sports, & Culture to create training and
employment in the Fisheries Industry by teaching at-risk youths how to fish to
feed themselves and the nation, and announced the venture in the conference
room of Paradise Fisheries
on Monday.
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources the Hon. V.
Alfred Gray told the young people: “We’ve always had problems finding young
people, who are willing to be fishermen and I can assure you that you are a
cadre of young people who the Government will invest in and try to support to
make sure that the owners of fishing boats will soon no longer be able to say
they cannot find Bahamian fishermen who are willing to work or who are willing
to stay on the boats.”
“So I congratulate you and wish all of you well in your
endeavours. I commit myself to this programme and I am sure the
Government will do all it can to ensure this program succeeds. God bless
you all. Thank you very much.”
In addition, the Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture the
Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson added to Minister Gray’s affirmation of the
Government’s commitment by setting the tone for leadership in the Fisheries
Industry. Dr. Johnson congratulated everyone there and said it’s a
community effort as well.
Dr. Johnson said the young people were becoming exposed to
‘the wealth of nations’ – ownership, which promotes industry and sustainable
work, with Paradise Fisheries as an example of enterprise.
In his address he explained there are rules of engagement
when dealing with boats and the ocean and that lots of men lost everything by
getting involved with the fishing industry and not knowing the
rules.
Dr. Johnson said it’s their job to get these young men and
women ready.
“If you don’t learn the rules right, you do yourself in and
you don’t come back,” said Dr. Johnson.
“It’s just like the airline industry, you have to train to
be a pilot. You have to train if you’re going to fix a plane. The
same thing with this industry, you have to train yourself. You have to
expose yourself to the best people in the business, if you’re going to be
successful in this industry.”
Round One Bahamas Trainee Group. (Photo: Gena Gibbs / BIS)
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